They Call Me Lila
by Yureii
Summary: Jem discovers that the world isn't fair to those that seem different. Written from Jem's POV.


**I haven't actually finished to Kill a Mocking bird yet, but I doubt I'll accidentally write anything that will contradict the book. **

**-New characters: Delila**

**Miss Ludia Hawkins**

They call me 'Lila

It was my first day of Grade One. A cold chill went through me. My father might have taken me but he was busy so Calpurnia took me instead. It made me bitter to think that if she hadn't died, my Mother would be taking me instead of Cal. But all for naught, I had no choice. Mother wouldn't be coming back. Atticus couldn't hide that from me. He wasn't so cruel.

Cal didn't come too close to the school; she just walked me to the grounds. "Goodbye, Jem. " she said. "Enjoy your first day of school."

I tried to muster a smile. "Okay, Cal. Thanks!"

She smiled at me kindly, a smile that almost felt motherly and made me feel better. She watched me go into the school. I wondered only breifly why she didn't come in with me like all the other adults did. After that, I forgot about it and joined the other students, asking a few adults if they knew where I might find my class room. I found it quickly and went in, a little bit afraid of all the other students.

Only one person sat in the class room; a little girl.

She was very small and she looked even tinier in the desks, which were too big for Grade one's but I guessed that it was all the school had. Her face was pale and was very contrasted by her dark brown hair and eyes. Her little hands held a book on the desk. She didn't frighten me at all.

"Hallo. " I said. She looked up from her book suddenly, seeming afraid and I guessed that I had surprised her. "Sorry," I said.

"Oh- thats okay," she said quietly. "I was just looking at the pictures. "

She smiled a smile which I found, even then, to be quite pretty. It made her face almost glow, like a little angel. "I'm Jem." I said, trying to be polite as Cal taught me to. She smiled again.

"My name's Delila, but they call me 'Lila at home."

"It's nice to meet you, Lila."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"What are you reading?"

"It's a picture book about a Cat..."

The room was beginng to fill up with students, and a teacher. I sat down in the desk beside Lila. Once everyone was seated, she stood in front of the class. "Hello, everyone. My name is Miss Ludia Hawkins. I'll be your teacher."

I guess Miss Ludia was nice enough. She never was mean to me in my time with her as a teacher. I thought sometimes that she was just too weak to be mean; she had to be at least fifty years old. It didn't occur to me that my father was nearly that age. But I never really found my father that old at the time.

"Today, I'd like every one to introduce themselves, okay? Just tell us your name and your parent's names, so we can all get aqquainted."

Now, thinking back, I wonder if it was right on Miss Ludia to start that. Thinking back, I realise that she may not have realised what that could do to the students. Some had parents who were in jail, others who had parents who were dead, like myself. But I might not have minded so much, if Lila's glowing face hadn't suddenly grown dark and a little afraid.

It started on the left side of the classroom and went around. When it came to me, I introduced myself quickly as Jem Finch. My father was Atticus. It went then to Lila. I could see some fear on her face but she stood up defiantly.

"They call me Lila," she said. "My parents are John and Tina Johanssen."

There was a muffled whisper in the room as people began to whisper. Lila sat down, trying to ignore their whispers. I saw tears come to her eyes. I leaned over. "Whats wrong, Lila?" She wiped her eyes.

"Nothing, Jem, Thanks." She gave me another glowing smile.

I went home that day. Cal was rocking my little sister gently and singing her kindly to sleep. She looked up at me as I entered. "Hallo, Jem. How was your day?"

"It was good," I told her. "I made a friend. 'er name's Lila."

Cal smiled. "Thats good."

"Cal- do you know who John and Tina Johanssen are?"

Cal thought for a moment, as if trying to make connections for a moment. Scout had fallen asleep in her arms. She looked at me for a long moment. "You mean John and Tina's Lila?"

"Yeah."

"Oh- well, they go to my church. See, John and Tina ain't Lila's real parents. They adopted her."

"i don't understand, whats the problem with that? "

Cal went on to explain, reminding me that she hadn't gone right to the school with me, but had walked me to the grounds. She said that she didn't go onto the school grounds because some parents may not like her being there.

"Why not, Cal?"

"See," she held up her hand for me to see. "My skin's a diff'rent colour than your's. Some people don't like that. Some people are mean to people like me because we are different from them. "John and Tina are like me, and they adopted Lila when she was little because her parents died. Some people don't like that Lila has black parents."

"I don't see why, Cal. You don't look different besides that to me."

Cal smiled warmly at me. "You keep that in mind your whole life, Jem."

The next day I invited Lila home for lunch. She accepted happily and came with me. I had told her about Scout, and she wanted to meet my sister and I told her that Cal was an excellent cook and would have a nice lunch fixed for us. She was happy to see Cal when we entered, and I introduced her to Atticus, who didn't mind her being there at all.

Lila and Cal talked for a few minutes until Calpurnia insisted we sit down and eat. We ate and talked a little; Lila seemed absolutely delighted. It made me happy to see her glowing face again. No sadness was traced on it. She loved how Scout wobbeled as she tried to walk and the way she said the few words she knew how.

When it was time to leave, Lila and I started down the street, past the Radley Place and up toward the post office.

"Lila, I saw you crying yesterday."

She looked up at me; her eyes wide. She knew that I had noticed her sadness, but she didn't know that I'd seen her crying. She had cried on her way home from school, I saw as I went in the opposite direction to my house.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Jem."

"But I don't like to see you cryin', Lila."

"Jem, I know that you already know. Y'asked Cal, didn't you?"

I looked to the ground for a moment, a little ashamed of my curiousity. "Yeah. I did."

Lila smiled weakly at me. "It's okay, Jem. I just don;t like the way people treat my Mommy and Daddy, is all. And it makes me sad that lots'a of people won't talk to me because they're black. You won't will yah, Jem?"

"Naw, of course not."

She smiled and her face glowed once more. "Thank you, Jem Finch. You're a good friend."


End file.
